Disasters - a growing problem around the world.It's a fact - disasters are on the rise around the world. According to one estimate, the 1990s saw a tripling of disasters and a nine-fold increase in economic costs when compared with the 1960s. Climate change,earthquake,floods,storm increasing concentrations of people in vulnerable areas, and political and economic instability are all contributing factors.
The challenge is - how do we deal with this growing dilemma?

Refresher Training of CERT by FOCUS

Tuesday, July 29, 2008

The trickle of patients with monsoon diseases, which hospitals have started getting, will turn into a deluge if you do not take precautions

CASES IN PUBLIC HOSPITALS The figures, provided by the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation's epidemiology cell, are of patients admitted to only public hospitals from 8 am on Sunday to 8 am on Monday; but they give an idea of the diseases that we need to be wary of. Jaundice and typhoid have not been included in the list because the incubation period of these two diseases is longer than a couple of days. Doctors, with the experience of the past few monsoons, say these cases will start pouring in in the next few days.

LEPTOSPIROSIS It is a bacterial infection caused by the leptospira bacteria spread through water contaminated with the urine of rats and dogs. Symptoms include high fever, muscle aches, severe headaches, abdominal pain and vomiting or loose motions. The patient may have a damaged kidney or develop respiratory distress if the initial symptoms are left untreated. The incubation period varies between 5 days and 4 weeks. PREVENTION IS BETTER THAN CURE Avoid wading through flood water especially if you have cuts or abrasions on your feet/legs. Always wash your feet after walking through muck. AROUND THE WORLD Leptospirosis outbreaks were reported even in Florida and Illinois in 2007.

VIRAL FEVER It may be caused by a host of viral infections which result in raised body temperatures and weakness. Symptoms include fever, chills, body ache, coughs and colds. PREVENTION IS BETTER THAN CURE Avoid getting wet in the rain. Change into dry clothes and shoes if you do and avoid sitting in an airconditioned room.

MALARIA It is a mosquito-borne disease caused by a parasite and is usually of two types: vivax or falciparum. The second is more worrying and could be life-threatening. Symptoms include fever with chills and a flu-like illness. The incubation period varies between 3 days and 5 days. PREVENTION IS BETTER THAN CURE Empty out all water collected in flower pots, old tyres or pans or other articles, regularly clean overhead tanks in buildings and use mosquito nets and insecticides. AROUND THE WORLD Between 35 crore and 50 crore cases of malaria are reported worldwide each year; they cause over 10 lakh deaths.

DENGUE It is an infectious disease carried from person to person by the tiger mosquito (Aedes aegypti). Symptoms include a sudden onset of fever, severe headache, a falling platelet count; it could occassionally cause shock and haemorrhage, leading to death. The incubation period varies between 5 days and a week. PREVENTION IS BETTER THAN CURE Keep mosquitoes away and avoid collection of water around home or office. AROUND THE WORLD There are around 5 crore to 10 cases of dengue fever and several hundred thousand dengue haemorrhagic fever cases every year. The average fatality rate of the latter is about 5 per cent.

GASTROENTERITIS It is an infection or inflammation of the digestive tract and may be caused by a virus or bacterium. Symptoms may include vomiting, a watery diarrhoea with or without fever. The incubation period varies between 12 hours and 24 hours. PREVENTION IS BETTER THAN CURE Avoid ice, roadside food, cut fruits and boil your drinking water. AROUND THE WORLD Gastro-intestinal infections are common everywhere and, even in the United States, it is estimated to cause 23 million illnesses a year.

TYPHOID It is an illness brought about by the inflammation of the intestines and is caused by Salmonella typhi bacteria. Symptoms include unrelenting fever, rashes and overall weakness. The incubation period is usually 10 days. PREVENTION IS BETTER THAN CURE Drink boiled water, wash your hands after visiting the toilet and try to avoid outside food as drinks or foodstuff contaminated with the bacteria can give you the ailment. Vaccines are available as well. AROUND THE WORLD There are only about 400 cases of typhoid annually in the United States and 75 per cent of these are acquired through international travel.

JAUNDICE It is a c o n d i t i o n associated with an increase of bilirubin in the blood, which can cause liver disease. It is caused by the hepatitis virus. Symptoms include yellowness of eyes and skin and vomiting. The incubation period varies between 15 days and 20 days. PREVENTION IS BETTER THAN CURE Drink boiled water; hepatitis vaccines are available.

Saturday, July 26, 2008

At Least 29 Killed In 16 Serial Blasts, Four Of Them In Narendra Modi's Constituency Indian Mujahideen claims responsibility

TIMES NEWS NETWORK

Ahmedabad: India appears to be one of the softest targets in the world for terrorists. On two consecutive days, they have struck in two top Indian cities—Bangalore and Ahmedabad—triggering widespread fears of more such attacks. As a sense of helplessness grips the country, security and intelligence specialists say India is increasingly being drawn into the epicentre of terror. On Saturday evening, Ahmedabad was rocked by 16 precisely planned blasts in crowded markets and residential areas and at bus stands and hospitals, killing 29 and injuring around 88. The nature of the blasts was similar to those in Bangalore on Friday — quartz timer devices, microprocessors and ammonium nitrate were found at blast sites in both cities. Significantly, Gujarat chief minister Narendra Modi's constituency of Maninagar was rocked by four blasts. The blasts which took place between 6.45 and 8 pm were of a higher intensity than those in Bangalore. The last three terror attacks have occurred in BJPruled states— Rajasthan, Karnataka and now Gujarat. Security experts were reading meaning into this trend and warned that Bhopal in Madhya Pradesh could well be the next target. As on the eve of the Jaipur and UP court blasts, a group calling itself Indian Mujahideen claimed responsibility for the Ahmedabad blasts in an email to the media minutes before the first blast. Ammonium nitrate used in explosions All the blasts, except the one at Sarkhej, took place in the crowded eastern neighbourhoods of Ahmedabad, within a radius of 5 km. The Civil Hospital and L G Hospital campuses were the last to get bombed, about 40 minutes after the first round of blasts. Most of the bombs were planted behind bicycles in tiffins contained in blue polybags while the bombs in the hospitals were placed in automobiles. The bombs were packed with timer devices and microproc-essors. Preliminary reports suggest ammonium nitrate was used in the bombs. Eyewitnesses said multiple bombs were planted within a short range, which went off within an interval of a few seconds. The idea was to attract people to the site with the first blast and then explode the other with more devastating effect. One of the bombs went off near a bus in a Hindu pocket of the otherwise Muslimdominated Sarkhej ripping one side of the bus. The busy diamond market in Bapunagar here was also made a target. At Maninagar, the bombs were planted in a market and bus stops. TNN

FIRST TIME in India that serial terror blasts have occurred on consecutive days. Ahmedabad blasts were of a greater intensity than those that shook Bangalore. Even without RDX, these bombs can be lethal as in Jaipur. These blasts are seen as aimed at creating panic. This, in turn, has led to anxiety about whether these two serial blasts are an indication of a bigger attack to follow.

Police chiefs from across the country summoned to Delhi for a meeting THIRD CONSECUTIVE attack on a BJP-ruled state after Rajasthan and Karnataka. Experts fear Madhya Pradesh capital Bhopal may be the next target. BJP has been more strident against terror and often accused Congress of being soft FOURTH TERROR attack in which cycles have been used to plant bombs. Cycles used in Malegaon, Jaipur and the UP court serial blasts. Cycles now seem to be a preferred vehicle of death as they are inconspicuous FOUR BLASTS in Maninagar, which is Narendra Modi's constituency. One blast outside Dhanvantri Hospital in Bapunagar, a cancer facility run by VHP's Pravin Togadia, himself a doctor FIRST BLASTS take place in marketplaces. Several women killed or injured. After 40 mins of the initial blasts, a fresh round took place outside hospitals around the time the injured were being brought in GROUP CALLING itself Indian Mujahideen sent an email to media organisations taking responsibility for the blasts and setting out a political agenda, including release of alleged terrorists. The same group had sent mails before the Jaipur and UP court blasts. These two mails were sent from east Delhi cyber cafes WHAT | 16 blasts rip through city, killing 29 and injuring at least 88. Maximum number of serial blasts at one place in one day anywhere in the world WHEN | First blast at 6.45 pm when bazaars were packed with people. Blasts continue till 8 pm WHERE | Sarkhej, Maninagar, Bapunagar, Diamond Market, Thakkarbapanagar, Raipur, Sarangpur, Isanpur, Narol Circle, Naroda. Then blasts at the Civil Hospital, L G Hospital and Dhanvantri hospital campuses VEHICLES OF DEATH | Most bombs planted on bicycles or packed in tiffin boxes wrapped in blue polythene bags. Quartz, microprocessers and ammonium nitrate found at blast sites as in Bangalore

Friday, July 18, 2008

Two of Airtel's servers were damaged after fire from basement of Peninsula Chambers spreads to its office on first floor

PRIYANKA BORPUJARI

Services of cellphone operator Airtel were disrupted after two of its servers located in Peninsula Chambers at Peninsula Corporate Park, Lower Parel, was damaged in a major fire that broke out at the business plaza early Friday morning. A power transformer located in the basement of the building exploded and the fire spread to a portion of the first and second floor of Peninsula Chambers, the business plaza which houses several corporate offices including Airtel. Nobody was hurt in the fire. Airtel services in south Mumbai were disrupted due to the server damage. According to sources, the server at Peninsula Chambers catered to Airtel's cell operations from Andheri to south Mumbai. The company is making frantic efforts to shift the operational load to Airtel's server in Mahape to normalise operations. According to eyewitnesses, a spark in the transformers led to a fire at 8.15 am on Friday. According to the fire brigade, the fire then spread to the first and second floors of the building. The transformer was kept in the basement of the building, and the fire spread to the switch gear and cables. A security person who noticed the fire called the fire brigade which reached within minutes. According to P D Kargupikkar, deputy chief fire officer, there was a thick blanket of black smoke in the basement which hindered the fire-fighting operation to some extent. Eight fire engines, five water tankers, two ambulances and one breathing apparatus had to be called in to tackle the fire. While investigations are on about the cause of the fire, Kargupikkar said that the entire electric cabling and panel in the basement of the building were destroyed. When asked what could be the cause of teh fire, "Overheating of the transformer, as also some spark in the switch gear, could be possible causes. We will have to investigate into who the last person to leave the premises last night, and whether that person had switched off the necessary switches." Although fire officials are convinced that fire-fighting measures were not maintained in the building, officials from Peninsula Corporate Park denied the allegation. "We had everything in place. The fire could not have broken out due to nonmaintenance," said an officer from Peninsula Corporate Park. 'NO SAFETY MEASURES WERE IN PLACE' The fire department says there were no fire-fighting measures in place at Peninsula Chambers. According to PD Kargupikkar, deputy fire chief officer, "When tried to enter the basement but had to leave immediately because of the thick smoke accumulated inside as there was no air vent. We had to then break the glass panels to get to the parking lot. Worse still, we could not get into the basement area after that as glass pieces were scattered everywhere." "There is no proper ventilation in modern day buildings. The whole concept of windows is lost behind glass. Nowadays, buildings with a large area have just one stairway in the centre, as opposed to two stairways in two diagonally opposite areas. Such planning is a hindrance to fire fighting," he added. In fact, the emergency exit to the transformer which opens through a hydraulic motor jack, could not be opened as the motor failed due to power failure. The fire brigade had to then force open the door and thrust huge exhaust pipes to extinguish the smoke in the basement. "We also saw that there were no sprinklers in the basement. It is essential that there be sprinklers in areas of over 200 square metres," Kargupikkar said. He added, "Any large area exceeding 750 square metres should have fusible link doors. The doors in the basement were not strategically placed, which rendered them useless. Besides, there was no provision to have them automated to shut as soon as there was any fire alarm." TOTAL CONFUSION AMONG AIRTEL USERS There was complete confusion among Airtel users on Friday after they were abruptly disconnected from the network due to the fire at Peninsula Chambers. Anish B, an Airtel subscriber from Dadar, said, "I was unaware of the fire. All morning I was wondering what could have caused this abrupt disconnection of services. I contacted other Airtel users on their landline phones and they confirmed they were facing the same problem." Santosh Manjrekar (VT), another Airtel subscriber, said, "The network has been down since morning and the breakdown of the network made it a bit inconvenient for Airtel users." A spokesperson from Airtel said that it would take some time, maybe even 8 to 10 days to restore services completely. Technical contractors with Airtel said that the Lower Parel server load is slowly being diverted to other Airtel stations at Mahape and Malad that serve the Thane region and western suburbs respectively. — With inputs from Alpita Masurkar

Above: The entire electric cabling and panel in the basement of Peninsula Chambers was destroyed. Inset: People had to be evacuated

Saturday, July 12, 2008

NEW DELHI: When the earth shook in China, and the wind came screaming at the Burmese, it left in its wake human debris like so many dreams, families and futures, all broken and twisted, floating in a muddy sea of misery. In a world where climate change has entered the everyday lexicon, extreme weather events are expected to be more frequent, intense and unforgiving. Given this, it becomes critical for a country to have in place institutional framework and mechanisms to tackle contingencies arising from natural disasters. The effectiveness of such a system will be crucial if future audits of human catastrophes are to bear a more balanced look. ET takes a look at India's level of preparedness in the face of a natural calamity.

Disaster management, the science of managing the effects of a human calamity, stands on the twin pillars of mitigation and response. If disaster management is the sum of all efforts taken to reduce the effects of a disaster, mitigation is what goes before the D-day and response is what comes after. Response is the visible face of disaster management, involving such things as search and rescue, distribution of relief and post-disaster reconstruction; things that lend itself easily to a human interest story.

Mitigation however, is the slow business of training, educating, capacity building and the changing of mindsets, which is both slower, boring and thus invisible. And yet, as experiences worldwide have shown, a community that is aware, has basic training and thus better prepared, is also a lot more resilient to a crisis in both economic and human terms.

Prof Santosh Kumar of National Institute of Disaster Management (NIDM) says, "We need to shift focus from the visibles to the invisibles. Everyone is interested in disaster response because of its high visibility. State governments are not interested in investing in mitigation because the government cannot claim credit for its efforts unless a calamity hits the community while it is in power and hence there is no focus on disaster mitigation. But disaster response measures only have short-term gain and do not result in risk reduction. It can take up to four hours for help to reach an affected community. Therefore the initial response has to be from within the community and is crucial."

Knowledge forms the keystone of empowerment and its easy to see why a community that knows for instance, how to survive under debris for 10 days and is trained in basic life saving skills, would have lesser casualties in an earthquake. Kumar says that the paradigm change in India, from response-based to mitigation-based disaster management happened post the Gujarat earthquake in 2001.

Disaster response education has now been incorporated in the CBSE and ICSE high school syllabi with a special emphasis on school projects as this has been seen to involve even the parents, thus expanding the circle of education. Also included in this drive is the B.Ed. curriculum for teachers and the MBBS hospital administration course since, as Mr Kumar points out, a hospital has to remain functional in a crisis and therefore has to have structural, logistical and organization features built into its setup, unlike the Bhuj hospital which completely collapsed in the Gujarat earthquake.

An interesting aspect of disaster education has been the role of traditional knowledge vis-a-vis disaster mitigation. When the December 26th tsunami hit the Nicobar coast, while the nearby Indian air force base lost many lives, the Nicobaris, a small primitive tribe with no contact with modern civilization, withstood the worst with zero casualties. What helped them apart from their small numbers was also a cache of traditional know-how that many communities around the world living in regions given to certain vulnerabilities, have developed over many generations.

Therefore the ubiquity of the banana tree, found in almost every home in flood prone districts; the bananas and the pith for food, the large water-proof leaves as adhoc containers and the floatable trunks fashioned into a getaway raft . NIDM is documenting these traditional know-hows and incorporating them into its own awareness campaigns.

"It's also a question of mindset," says Kumar. "Things like having a family level disaster plan and a disaster survival kit that would support a family for, say, three days or the use of simple measures like having a bucket of sand in the house in the case of fire, which costs nothing. Our job (at NIDM) is to take this agenda to the local level. Sensitize and change mindsets. Local solutions are critical and hence the strengthening of local governance will be crucial."

Wednesday, July 9, 2008

According to a Japanese institute that does research on blood types, there are certain personality traits that seem to match up with certain blood types. How do you rate?

TYPE O

You want to be a leader, and when you see something you want, you keep striving until you achieve your goal. You are a trend-setter, loyal, passionate, and self-confident. Your weaknesses include vanity and jealously and a tendency to be too competitive.

TYPE A

You like harmony, peace and organization. You work well with others, and are sensitive, patient and affectionate. Among your weaknesses are stubbornness and an inability to relax.

TYPE B

You're a rugged individualist, who's straightforward and likes to do things your own way. Creative and flexible, you adapt easily to any situation. But your insistence on being independent can sometimes go too far and become a weakness.

TYPE AB

Cool and controlled, you're generally well liked and always put people at ease. You're a natural entertainer who's tactful and fair. But you're standoffish, blunt, and have difficulty making decisions.

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KNOW ABOUT THE BENEFITS OF HAVING FRUITS AND VEGETABLES REGARDS, MANIKANDAN,

How a chair, rocks, aspirin, and a scarf can keep you alive in 12 do-or-die emergencies.

How to Survive ...

We've all heard the miracle stories: The Boy Scout who survived for four days in the mountains of North Carolina. The Montana couple who fought off a bear. The guy in Utah who cut off his arm to free himself from under a fallen boulder. You've probably read many stories like this in Reader's Digest (like the one on page 102 about a couple stranded in the snow) and wondered what you'd do in the same situation, but you always assumed freak accidents would never happen to you.

And you'd be wrong. While your odds of having a heart attack are much higher than finding yourself in most of these scenarios, strange things happen every day. For example, almost 2.5 million people called poison centers for help in 2006. In 2004, 112,000 people died of injuries from falls, drownings, and other accidents. In 2006, search-and-rescue rangers in our national parks responded to nearly 4,000 calls, more than a third of them for people who were also sick or injured. Every year, around 3,000 succumb to choking.

ILLUSTRATED BY LASON LEE

Staying visible is key if you want to get rescued.

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ILLUSTRATED BY LASON LEE

You can give yourself the Heimlich maneuver.

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ILLUSTRATED BY LASON LEE

When caught in a riptide, you should swim parallel to the shoreline, not towards it.

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ILLUSTRATED BY LASON LEE

If you see a bear, your instincts might tell you to run, but that's the worst thing you can do.

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ILLUSTRATED BY LASON LEE

Contrary to popular belief, using a tourniquets to stop severe bleeding can actually cause more harm than good.

Another 400 are struck by lightning, and 67 of those die from it. How do you keep yourself out of the statistics?

Besides calling 911, here's what to do in 12 life-threatening emergencies when no one's around to help.

LOST IN THE WILDERNESS To avoid becoming the lead story on the evening news, be prepared. Before you head out on a hike, check the weather (you can find forecasts for many wilderness areas at wunderground.com), take plenty of water, and make sure someone knows where you'll be and when you'll be back. Bring clothes to keep you warm when wet, like a water-repellent jacket, says Laurence Gonzales, author of Deep Survival: Who Lives, Who Dies, and Why. Avoid cotton, which traps moisture. "The search-and-rescue people call it death cloth," he says.

"Expect to get lost, and check often to make sure you're still on the trail," says John Dill, a search-and-rescue ranger at Yosemite National Park in California. "The minute you think you might not be on the trail, stop." "First, you've got to acknowledge you're in trouble," adds Gonzales. If you're not alone, focusing on the needs of others can help hold your own fears at bay. Other keys to survival: staying observant and remembering to rest. Keeping a sense of humor helps too—it reduces stress and promotes creative thinking.

The surest way to get out alive is to take basic precautions, such as stowing a survival kit in your car. Gonzales's includes waterproof matches and chunks from fake fireplace logs for starting a fire, a folding saw for cutting branches, and a plastic tarp and cord for making shelter. Don't forget an emergency blanket, a good knife, a first-aid kit, a flashlight, batteries, snacks, and water.

In general, people who try to find their own way out fare worse than those who stay put, says Richard N. Bradley, MD, of the American Red Cross. Find shelter before dark, and try to keep dry. Stay visible so anyone searching can see you. In a wide-open area, make a signal with colorful gear, make a big X out of rocks, or dig a shallow trench, says Dill. "The top layer of soil is a different color. Scrape it away and make straight lines, which are easy to spot from above."

You can go several days without eating, so in most cases, you're better off not foraging for food, since there are lots of poisonous plants in the wild, says Dr. Bradley. You need to stay hydrated, so if you run out of water, it's usually better to drink from a stream with suspect water than to go without. If you're stranded in your car, stay there: You're more visible to rescuers, and the car provides shelter.

CHOKING Richard Stennes, MD, was home alone in La Jolla Shores, California, eating a steak, when the phone rang. The 64-year-old gulped down the bite still in his mouth and answered the call. But the hunk of steak was stuck, and he couldn't talk or breathe. He put his finger down his throat to grab the meat, but he couldn't reach it. Gagging didn't help either. So he walked over to the couch and forcefully thrust his abdomen on the hard arm of the couch, sending the meat flying and allowing him to breathe again.

An emergency physician, Dr. Stennes knew that if done right, this would have the same effect as the Heimlich maneuver. If you're ever in the same situation, quickly find a chair or other piece of furniture or a kitchen counter, says Maurizio Miglietta, MD, chief of trauma at NewYork-Presbyterian Hospital/Columbia University Medical Center. Aim to hit the top of the chair or edge of the counter against your upper abdomen, in the soft part below the bony upside-down V of the ribs. Thrust up and inward. If you still can't breathe after six tries, call 911 from a landline, even if you can't talk. They'll find you. Write the word choking somewhere nearby, and leave the line open until help arrives.

HEART ATTACKIf you're experiencing crushing chest pain with or without pain in your left arm, are short of breath, or have a sense of impending doom, you may be having a heart attack. (Women are more likely to have atypical symptoms like severe fatigue, nausea, heartburn, and profuse sweating.) Call 911 and chew one 325 mg uncoated aspirin, to get it into your bloodstream fast. This will thin your blood, often stopping a heart attack in its tracks. While waiting, lie down so your heart doesn't have to work as hard, says Sandra Schneider, MD, a spokeswoman for the American College of Emergency Physicians. If you think you might pass out, try forcing yourself to cough deeply. It changes the pressure in your chest and can have the same effect as the thump given in CPR, says Dr. Schneider. "Sometimes it can jolt the heart into a normal rhythm."

If someone else goes into cardiac arrest, note that the American Heart Association now recommends CPR without the mouth-to-mouth: Call 911, then push hard and fast on the person's chest until help comes.

IMPALEMENT This doesn't happen only in horror movies. Tornadoes and hurricanes can fling debris for miles, and even recreational hobbies like fishing or archery can be hazardous. Just ask James Bertakis. The 81-year-old Florida man fared better than Crocodile Hunter Steve Irwin, who was killed in 2006 when a stingray struck him in the heart. Bertakis was impaled when a stingray jumped into his boat and hit him directly in the chest. He didn't remove the barb but piloted the boat to land and got help.

If you have something stuck in any body part, including your eye, don't remove the object, says Richard O'Brien, MD, a spokesman for the American College of Emergency Physicians. "The object may be compressing an artery that would otherwise start bleeding like crazy."

If you've been struck by a branch or some other hefty object, try to trim it, breaking off the part that's protruding from your body, but don't pull it out.

SWIMMING EMERGENCIESRiptide: Dr. Stennes is either extremely lucky or has a knack for putting his life in danger. In addition to surviving choking, he also saved his own life in a riptide in Acapulco, Mexico.

"I was swimming in the ocean, and all of a sudden a strong current took me away," he says. "There were no lifeguards, so I was waving to people on the shore, who just waved back at me. I began to think, I'm in a bad situation here. I'm not a great swimmer, and I can't go against that riptide, so what am I going to do?" He floated for a while, then did exactly what the experts recommend: He swam slowly, parallel to the beach, until he was out of the current.

You know you're in a riptide when you feel yourself being pulled away from the shoreline, says Dr. Bradley of the Red Cross. "Your natural reaction is to head toward the shore, but it's very difficult to swim against a riptide." Luckily, these currents are fairly narrow, so you just have to swim along the shore, in either direction.

Cramps: If you're in deep water, take a breath, lie on your back, and float. If you've got a muscle cramp (they often hit the calves), float facedown, grab your toes, and pull them toward you, stretching your calf until the pain goes away. If it's a stomach cramp, lie on your back, spread your arms and legs, and float until you can swim back to shore.

BEAR ATTACK

If you surprise a bear, don't run away. That invites an attack. Instead, stand up and back away slowly, without looking the bear in the eyes. Speak softly to the animal (no loud shouting). If it does charge at you, try to make yourself look as large as possible: Stick out your chest, raise your arms, and spread your legs. Now you can yell at the bear, to frighten it.

If it's going to attack, lie facedown, with your hands clasped behind your neck. Play dead and don't get up until you're sure the bear is gone. Leave the area immediately in case it returns.

If you're in bear country, carry a bear-deterrent pepper spray (find one at epa.gov). Make sure the wind isn't blowing toward you, and spray for one to two seconds when the bear is 30 to 40 feet away.

ILLUSTRATED BY LASON LEE

Staying visible is key if you want to get rescued.

javascript:void(0);

ILLUSTRATED BY LASON LEE

You can give yourself the Heimlich maneuver.

javascript:void(0);

ILLUSTRATED BY LASON LEE

When caught in a riptide, you should swim parallel to the shoreline, not towards it.

javascript:void(0);

ILLUSTRATED BY LASON LEE

If you see a bear, your instincts might tell you to run, but that's the worst thing you can do.

javascript:void(0);

ILLUSTRATED BY LASON LEE

Contrary to popular belief, using a tourniquets to stop severe bleeding can actually cause more harm than good.

POISONING The most common reasons for calls to poison centers? Unintentional or intentional drug overdoses (painkillers, sedatives, and antidepressants are high on the list) and exposure to cleaning products. No matter how little you've ingested, call a poison center before you do anything. The national number is 1-800-222-1222.

Don't make yourself throw up or give yourself ipecac, the vomit-inducing antidote that used to be a staple in first-aid kits, says Alvin C. Bronstein, MD, medical director of the Rocky Mountain Poison & Drug Center in Denver. "Ipecac has never been proven beneficial," he says. "We rarely use it today. It's gone the way of the horse and buggy."

Ipecac can leave you throwing up for hours. Plus, if you ingested something that burned going down and you force yourself to vomit, it will burn on the way back up too. And say you accidentally took a few extra sedatives. If you take ipecac when you're overly sleepy and your gag reflex isn't working well, you can turn a manageable overdose into something much worse.

Colorless, odorless carbon monoxide is a deadly poison that kills nearly 500 unsuspecting people a year. Make sure you have a working detector in your home.

If you've inhaled something (bleach or ammonia are common culprits), get away from the toxic area. If it's something that got on your skin, like a cleaning product, wash it off, then call a poison center and follow the specialist's advice.

SEVERE BLEEDINGYou're gushing blood—and getting scared. Forget about tourniquets, says Dr. Schneider of the American College of Emergency Physicians. Use your hand or a clean cloth, paper towels, a scarf, or any fabric you can grab, and push down on the wound until the bleeding stops. Tourniquets, which every Boy Scout learned how to make back in the day, are now a first-aid no-no. "If you have a cut on your upper leg and you put pressure on it, you're just closing that vessel. But if you put a tourniquet on, you're going to close the vessels to the entire leg," says Dr. Schneider. "You could lose your foot."

The only time to use a tourniquet, says Charles Pattavina, MD, chief of emergency medicine at St. Joseph Hospital in Bangor, Maine, is when you know that everything below the wound is beyond repair (say, the accident has amputated your finger, arm, or leg).

RISING WATER Rule No. 1: Never drive through standing water. As thousands of stranded motorists can attest, what looks like a small puddle can be much deeper. "It takes just 12 inches of water to carry a car away," says Robert Sinclair, Jr., of AAA New York. If you do get stuck, step out of the car, which will likely stall when the water reaches the vehicle's electronic controls. If the water is higher than the bottom of your knees or is moving too quickly for you to wade through, climb on top of your car and wait for help. Otherwise, get to higher ground.

If you suddenly become immersed (say, you drive off a bridge or into a lake or river), roll down the windows as soon as you can. Yes, it allows water to rush in, but that's a good thing, says Sinclair. It equalizes the pressure, so you can open the door or swim out the window. Do it quickly, though, as the electrical systems on automatic windows can get damaged and stop working when wet. A LifeHammer can shatter automotive glass and cut through seat belts; Sinclair keeps one between the driver's seat and the center console in case of such emergencies. Break the side windows (windshields are usually thicker and harder to crack), and swim toward high, dry land.

In a hurricane or storm with heavy winds, hide in a closet or pantry. Don't try to wade through floodwater outside—it can knock you over. If water is rising in your house, climb to the roof (as long as it's safe to do so) after the heavy rain and wind stop, says Lt. Ana Wisneski of the U.S. Coast Guard. Bring plenty of water to drink, sun protection, a flashlight, vital medications, and white sheets or colorful towels to signal rescuers. Then wait for help.

ALLERGIC REACTIONBee stings, food allergies, and medications can be deadly, even if you think you don't have allergies. Symptoms include itching in one spot or all over your body, sometimes accompanied by a rash, swelling, and, in the extreme, swelling of the airways, which hampers your ability to breathe. If you know you have a life-threatening allergy, form an action plan with your doctor, who will probably prescribe an EpiPen, which comes in child and adult doses. It delivers the drug epinephrine, which keeps the heart pumping, improves breathing, and gives you about 20 minutes to get to a hospital. Even if you don't have severe allergies, you can still be prepared for a spontaneous reaction. Slip a few maximum-strength antihistamines, like Benadryl Allergy capsules, into your wallet. The fast-acting tablets will begin to fight an allergic reaction while you wait for help to arrive. But since antihistamines can make you drowsy, don't drive yourself to the ER.

TRAPPED IN A BURNING BUILDINGIf you're in an office building and can't get out, don't panic. "In any emergency situation, the difference between survivors and nonsurvivors is that survivors remain calm and fight through their fear to find out, What can I do?" says Dr. Schneider. So think back to those fire-safety lessons you learned in grade school. Call 911. Close yourself in a smoke-free room and place a wet towel underneath the door to prevent any smoke from entering, says Dan McBride, a firefighter in New York City. Then get low to the ground, where you can breathe and see better, until help arrives. If you're in a house, get as low as you can and crawl outside as fast as possible. Don't stop until you're well away from the fire. Then call for help.

Sunday, July 6, 2008

Washington, Researchers at the University of Saskatchewan (U of S) are designing a ventilation system that could protect schools, hospitals, and other public buildings from chemical warfare and bioterrorist attacks, thus making the buildings "immune".

According to engineering dean and lead researcher Janusz Kozinski, "Think of it as a complex fire alarm for industrial chemical spills, airborne diseases, and biological warfare strikes on vulnerable public spaces."

"Whether an emergency starts with a terrorist's biowarfare assault or a contagious disease seeping through a hospital's air ducts, time is of the essence. This system promises to give citizens and emergency workers in these scenarios the extra seconds they need to respond before it's too late," adds Kozinski.

Known as the Early Warning and Response system (eWAR), it addresses what Kozinski views as major threats to public safety — the release of noxious chemicals and bio-agents into public buildings either accidentally through industrial spills or purposely through bioterrorist assaults that target ventilation systems.

It could also address the threat of outbreaks by detecting diseases, such as chickenpox and tuberculosis, before they spread through a hospital's air vents.

The new lab-scale set-up includes a model Heat Ventilation and Air Conditioning (HVAC) system that runs different simulations of potential building contamination scenarios.

Using the model HVAC system, Kozinski and his colleagues will further investigate how humidity, air pressure, wind, and temperature influence the spread of noxious fumes and biochemical agents.

The lab's research will help determine how eWAR can both filter harmful agents out of the air and activate warnings when airborne contaminants reach a critical density.

In its current design, eWAR quickly notifies building residents about potential threats and conserves energy by only activating in times of potential crisis.

"We are expanding the scope of eWAR applications to cover a wider base of situations that may affect civilian populations, such as the spread of influenza, anthrax, or nerve agent sarin," according to Andre Dascal, a McGill University associate professor of medicine, microbiology, and immunology collaborating on the project.

Once fully developed, eWAR is expected to fill a gap in the bio-defence marketplace, where maintaining bio-security in public buildings is not economically feasible using current technologies.

An integrated eWAR system could make detecting the myriad chemicals and bio-agents part of normal security procedures, essentially creating "immune buildings."

According to Suzanne L. Lebel, Chairman of Alert B & C, "Shopping malls, government facilities, and commercial buildings are all waiting for a system like eWAR to give first responders enough time to evacuate people from public places before they are exposed to dangerous chemicals and biohazards."

Thursday, July 3, 2008

FREEZING TO DEATH

Future shock: Heat wave temperatures to soar in decades

Washington: During the European heat wave of 2003 that killed tens of thousands, the temperature in parts of France hit 40°C. Nearly 15,000 people died in that country alone. During the Chicago heat wave of 1995, the mercury spiked above 41°C and about 600 people died. In a few decades, people will look back at those heat waves "and we will laugh", said Andreas Sterl, author of a new study. "We will find (those temperatures) lovely and cool." Sterl's computer model shows by the end of the century, high temperatures for once-in-a-generation heat waves will rise twice as fast as everyday average temperatures. Chicago, for example, would reach 46°C in such an event by 2100. Paris could near 42.7°C with Lyon coming closer to 45.5°C . Sterl, who is with the Royal Netherlands Meteorological Institute, projects temperatures for rare heat waves around the world in a study soon to be published in the journal Geophysical Research Letters. His numbers are blistering because of the drying-out effect of a warming world. Most global warming research focuses on average daily temperatures instead of these extremes, which cause greater damage. His study projects a peak of 47°C for Los Angeles and 43°C for Atlanta by 2100; that's 5 degrees higher than the current records for those cities. Kansas City faces the prospect of a 46.6°C heat wave, with its current alltime high at 43°C, according to the National Climactic Data Center. A few cities, such as Phoenix, which once hit 50°C and is projected to have heat waves of 48.8°C, have already reached these extreme temperatures once or twice. But they would be hitting those numbers a little more often as the world heats up over time. For New York, it would only be a slight jump from the all-time record of 40°C at John F Kennedy airport to the projected 41°C. It could be worse. Delhi, India is expected to hit 49°C; Belem, Brazil, 49.4°C and Baghdad, 50°C . These are temperatures that are dangerous, said University of Wisconsin environmental health professor Jonathan Patz. And by 2050, heat waves will be 3 to 5 degrees hotter than now "and probably be longerlasting," Sterl said. By mid-century, southern France's extreme heat waves should be around 44°C and then near 48°C by the end of the century, Sterl's climate models predict. AP Penguins falling victim to showers Washington: Global warming is leading to unusual epic rains in Antarctica, which is in turn causing the region's penguins to freeze to death. According to a report in National Geographic News, since Antarctica's young Adelie and gentoo penguins are not yet equipped with water-repellent feathers, they freeze to death when the mercury dipped below the freezing point. "Many, many, many of them—thousands of them—were dying," said explorer Jon Bowermaster, who had been in the region on an expedition funded in part by the National Geographic Society. The experience, he added, painted a clear and grim picture of the impact of global climate change. "It's not just melting ice. It's actually killing these cute little birds that are so popular in the movies," he said. ANI